Frictional gearing.



L. L. ROBERTSON.

FRICTIONAL GEARING.

- APPLIGATION FILED MAY 14, 1914.

1,129,018. Patented Feb. 16, 1915.

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FRIGTIONAL GEARING.

APPLICATION IILED MAY 14, 1914 1, 1 $9M 1 Patented Feb. 16,1915.

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LEVI L. ROBERTSON, OF MADISON, MINNESOTA.

FRICTIONAL GE'A'HRING.

Specification of IiettersfPat'ent.

Patented Feb. 16,1315.

.AppIicationsfiIed-May '14, 1914. Serial N 0.183%,521.

To all whom z't-mayconcem Be it-known {that I, LEvI L. RoBnR'rsoN, acitizen of the United States, residing at Madison, the county of Lao quiParle and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and usefulTmprovementsin Frictional Gearing, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates-to improvements in frictional gearing, adapted tobe used in driving endless carriers or the like, While not necessarilyrestricted to such use.

Animp'ortant object of the invention is to provide .gearing of the abovementioned character, which .issimple in construction, and convenient inuse.

Other objects and advantages of the .in vention will be apparent duringthe course of the following description.

in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and inwhich "like numerals are employed to. designate like parts throughoutthe same, Figure l is a perspective view :of apparatus embodying myinvention, Fig. 2 is 'a side elevation of frictional gearing embodyingthe invention, Fig. 3 is an edge elevation of the same, and Fig. 4: is aplan view of the same.

The numeral 1 15 designates a vertical frame or supporting structure, asa .whole. This frame :is shown as comprising upright transversesuppprting members '16 and 17, which are identical. It is to beunderstood that the construction of these upright supporting members may:be varied, as :may be found advantageous. The upper and lower ends ofthese transverse supporting members are connected by horizontal rods 18,as shown.

Arranged within the compartments or spaces occurring between the uprightsupporting members 16 and '17 are pairs of end-.

less belts 19. In the compartment between the upright supporting members16, are arranged carriers 20, in the form of shelves. These shelves arepivotally connected with the endless belts 19. In the compartmentbetween the upright supporting members 16 and 17 are carriers25,*pivoted to the endless belt 19. The endless :belts 19 are passedabout upper and lower pulleys or' wheels '27 and 28. The upper pulleys.or wheels 27 are retatably mounted upon stub-shafts 29 by a clamp-nut 3:orthe like, suitably secured to the upright supporting-members. Thelower pairs of pulleys or wheels28 are -ri idly mounted uponindependently rotata 1e :horizontal shafts 3.0, .suitably .journaledthrough portlons of the upright supporting members 16 and 17 as shown.It is obvious that by rotatlng each of the upper pairs of wheels orpulleys 27, the carriers may be raised or lowered, depending upon thedirection of such rotation. The pulleys or Wheels 27 and 28erspreferably provided near their outer ends1 with annular flanges 31 and32 respectivey.

As more clearly shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4;, a reclprocatory carriage 33is arranged upon the inner side of the upright supporting member, aboveand adjacent the flanged wheel or pulley 27. This reciprocatory carriageincludes a frame portion 34:, provided with .a tubular extension 35,preferably "in- .tegral therewith. The numeral 36 desigenates a 1horizontal guide-rod, .which is square :in cross-section and has itsouter end rigidly-secured .to the adjacent upright by a clamp 36. Theinner end of the rod 36 is slidably :mounted in the tubular extension 35of the frame 33, as shown, to support the same. Surrounding the rod 36is a suitably :stifi compressible-and expansible coil spring :37,serving to automatically move the carriage 34: inwardly or rear-wardlyand normally retain the .same in such position. Piv- :otally mountedupon the tubular extension :35 'of the frame 33, is an aperturedlongitudinally curved brake-shoe 38, held in place 7 and arranged toengage with the flange 31. Rotatably mounted Within the carriage 34 isan intermediate friction wheel or pulley 39, which is out of engagementwith the flange 31 when the brakeshoe engages the same but is adapted toengage with this flange when the brake shoe disengages the flange. Thefriction pulley or wheel 39 :iscarried by a stub-shaft 3.9 operatingthrough elongated slots 39', formed in the-carriage, asshown.

The numeral 40 designates an inner forked shifting frame, straddling thepulley 39 with its ends apertured to receive the and exipansible coilspring 41", having a than the spring 37, to compress or overcome thesame.

Extending longitudinally through the.

supporting frame structure and near and above the Wheels or pulleys 27,is a common drive shaft 40, to one end of which is rigidly'connected apulley 41, which may be rotated by any suitable form of prime mover,such as an electric motor, or the like. This pulley may be continuouslyrotated or intermittently rotated, as may be found advantageous Rigidlymounted upon the drive shaft 40 are friction pulleys 42, adapted to beengaged by the friction pulleys 39, as shown.

The springs 37 serve to normally retain the friction pulleys 39 out ofengagement with the pulleys 42, and flanges 31 of the pulleys 27, thesame being moved into engagement therewith by bell-crank levers 43,pivoted at 44. These bell-crank levers 43 have their upper endsapertured to loosely receive the ends of the inner frame 40 and engagethe springs 41, to shift the carriage 34. Connected with thesebell-crank levers are depending rods 45, having their lower endspivotally' connected with frames46, in turn pivoted at 47. These framesare independently movable and have treadles 48 rigidly connected withthe outer or forward ends thereof.

.The operation of the apparatus is as follows :Assuming that the driveshaft 40 is being rotated, when it is desired to operate either of theendless belt carriers, the corresponding treadle 48 is depressed. Thismovement of the treadle draws the rods 45 downwardly, whereby bell-cranklevers 43 are swung outwardly. These bell-crank levers through themedium of the springs 41 and the inner frames 40 shift the carriages 34forwardly, the springs 41 overcoming and compressing thesprings 37. Thefriction pulleys 39 are now moved into engagement with the pulleys 42and the flanges 31 of the pulleys 27, the brake-shoes 38 beingsimultaneously moved out of engagement with the flanges 31. The rotationof the drive shaft 40 is now imparted to the pulleys 27, to drive theendless belt carriers. When the treadle 48 is released, springs 37automatically shift the carriages 34'rearwardly, again applyingbrake-shoes 38 to the flanges 31, and simultaneously moving the pulleys39 out of engagement with the pulleys 27 and 42. Attention is called tothe fact that by the use of the springs 41,

the pulleys 39 are yieldingly held in frictional engagement with thepulleys 27 and 42. I

'It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown anddescribed is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and thatvarious changes in the shape,

size, and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing fromthe spirit of the invention or the scope of the sub- .joined claims.

for movement into and out of engagement with the same, and means toapproximately simultaneously move the intermediate power transmittingpulley out of engagement with the driven pulley and brake the drivenpulley to stop its rotation.

2. In apparatus of the character described, a driving pulley, a drivenpulley, a movable support arranged near the driving and driven pulleys,an intermediate power transmitting pulley carried by the support andadapted for movement into and out of engagement with the driving anddriven pulleys, and a brake member attached to the support and movableinto engagement with the driven pulley when the intermediate pulleydisengages the same.

3. In apparatus of the character described, a driving pulley, a drivenpulley, a movable support arranged near the driving and driven pulleys,an intermediate power transmitting pulley carried by the support andadapted to engage and disengage the driving and driven pulleys, a brakemember connected with the support and adapted to engage with the drivenpulley when the intermediate pulley disengages the same, automatic meansto move the support in one direction to move the intermediate pulley outof engagement with the driving and driven pulleys, and means to move thesupport in an opposite direction.

4. In apparatus of the character described, spaced driving and drivenpulleys, a relatively stationary guide member arranged near and betweenthe pulleys, a carriage mounted to reciprocate upon the guide memberbetween the pulleys, an intermediate power transmitting pulley connectedwith the carriage to move longitudinally therewith, means tolongitudinally shift the intermediate pulley and carriage in onedirection, a spring to longitudinally shift the carriage in an oppositedirection, and a brake element attached to the carriage and adapted toengage with the driven pulley.

55111 apparatus of the character described, spaced driving and drivenpulleys, a relatively stationary guide member arranged near and betweenthe pulleys, a main reciprocatory carriage mounted to slide upon theguide member and provided with longitudinal slots, a brake memberconnected With the carriage to engage and disengage the driven pulley, asupplemental reciprocatory carriage extending longitudinally of the maincarriage and movable with relation thereto, a stub-shaft connected Withthe supplemental carriage With its ends projecting into the elongatedslots of the main carriage, an intermediate pulley carried by thestub-shaft and adapted to engage and disengage the driving and driven 10pulleys, and means to move the supplemental reciprocatory carriage.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of tWo Witnesses.

LEVI L. ROBERTSON. Witnesses:

I. M. HEGRE, OBERT R. NELSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0.

